VANCOUVER — A B.C. politician’s allegation that a “single mom” who legally donated $50 to the truck convoy had her bank account frozen has been doubted by the prime minister and his deputy.
Chilliwack–Hope MP Mark Strahl caused a stir on Twitter on Sunday when he posted the claim.
“Briane is a single mom from Chilliwack working a minimum wage job. She gave $50 to the convoy when it was 100 per cent legal. She hasn’t participated in any other way,” Strahl said in a tweet. “Her bank account has now been frozen. This is who Justin Trudeau is actually targeting with his Emergency Act orders.”
Briane is a single mom from Chilliwack working a minimum wage job. She gave $50 to the convoy when it was 100% legal. She hasn’t participated in any other way. Her bank account has now been frozen. This is who Justin Trudeau is actually targeting with his Emergencies Act orders.
— Mark Strahl, MP (@markstrahl)
At a press briefing Monday, the prime minister was asked if ordinary people making small donations were being locked out of their bank accounts for their support of the protests.
“The measures we put in place are designed and focused on ensuring the people in the current illegal occupations leave,” said Trudeau. “That has been the intent and the focus right now. If there are specific cases that Conservative ministers can bring forward to highlight where that is not the case, we would happily look at them and look to resolve them.”
Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland said the financial sanctions are aimed at targeting leaders and those whose trucks were involved in illegal blockades.
“It’s important for all of us to be very, very careful to get our facts exactly right in each circumstance, and I would urge all of us to take that care in every situation,” she said of the Twitter claim.
“The RCMP has given to the financial institutions names of leaders and organizers of the protests and of people whose trucks were part of occupations and blockades. That is the only information given, according to the RCMP, that the RCMP has given to financial institutions.”
But Strahl wasn’t backing down, saying he is only keeping the identity of the “single mom” private so people won’t attack her online.
“To those of you, especially the media, demanding more details on Briane, having seen what has been said about her online today and what has been done to other convoy donors in the last weeks I am not going to help you dox her. I know who she is and I won’t stop fighting for her,” he said in a followup tweet.
Freeland pointed out the financial sanctions were only put in place on Feb. 15, long after the legal fundraising campaign had been pulled from the internet.
“For anyone who is concerned that their accounts may have been frozen because of their participation in these illegal blockades and occupation, the way to get your account unfrozen is to stop being part of the blockade and occupation.
“These measures were put in place to disrupt illegal activity in Canada,” Freeland continued. “We were very clear last Monday that we would be following the money, that we would be using financial tools to disrupt illegal blockades and occupations.
“The focus absolutely has been on leaders and on the vehicles. … That has been the only focus of law enforcement.”
A statement from the RCMP on Monday made the same point.
“Under the emergency economic measures order (Emergencies Act), the list that was provided to financial institutions included identities of individuals who were influencers in the illegal protest in Ottawa, and owners and/or drivers of vehicles who did not want to leave the area impacted by the protest. At no time, did we provide a list of donors to financial institutions.
“We are now working with the banks to build a process to address the accounts that were frozen.”
Postmedia News has reached out to Strahl for his reaction.
Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland respond to a question re: reports that individuals who donated small amounts to the convoy have had their bank accounts frozen.
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV)
